Superfood Jackfruit goes global - 3rd July 2020

This prickly and pungent jackfruit is taking the world by storm as the latest superfood meat-substitute.

A staple of South Asian diets for centuries, jackfruit grows in such abundance that tonnes of it would previously end up being left for the birds.

But since India, the primary jackfruit producer globally, has found a new way to market the green and spiky fruit as a healthy alternative to meat, worldwide interest has piqued.

Used either ripe or unripe in anything from cakes and ice cream to crisps and curries, jackfruit is recognised as a rare all-rounder. It can be fried, minced or sauteed and in the West, chefs are using it to rustle up burgers, tacos and even cutlets.

No longer the preserve of vegans and vegetarians, it’s increasingly something meat-eaters are feasting on, and its health benefits have yet to be fully discovered.

James Josep set up Jackfruit 365 which mills jackfruit into flour.

Josep: "Jackfruit is one of the most under-researched superfoods in the world. Nobody has paid attention to jackfruit."

"So for example, 30 grams of jackfruit flour has one gram of pectin. That is the equivalent of three apples. An apple a day keeps the doctor away because of pectin.”